Liquid fuel valve for internal combustion engines



May 3, 1932. M PALISCA 1,856,852

LIQUID FUEL VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Oct. 12, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l N VEN 7'06 wit/flew Faliscro.

'WTTOH/VEY SEE-Iv. L A

EEEQmw E w TN E55 May 3, 1932. M. PALISCA 7 11,356,852

LIQUID FUEL VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Oct. 12, 1927 -2 sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESS TORNEY Patented May 3, 1932 HATTHEW nausea, or r PATENT OFFICE IHIPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA LIQUID FUEL VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Application filed October 12, rear. am at. 225,644.

My invention relates to the valves by means of which a liquid fuel is delivered to the cylinder or combustion chamber of a liquid burning internal combustion engine and more 6' particularly to a valve wherein the high pressure air in the combustion chamber on the compression stroke of the engine is utilized to force the liquid fuel into the engine cylinder or combustion chamber against the high pressure of the air. in the engine cylinder at that time.

An object of my invention is to provide a construction which will dispense with the use p of air at a pressure higher than the pressure in the cylinder at the end of the compression stroke, to force the fuel into the cylinder, thereby dispensing also with the high pressure air pump and high pressure oil pump now ordinarily employed for the purpose. in" A further object of my invention is to .obtain the high pressure necessary to force the fuel into the cylinder directly from the gas or air being compressed in the combustion chamber of the cylinder of the motor on the compression stroke.

A furtherobject of my invention is to provide a liquid fuel valve for an internal com-,

bustion engine with a high pressure pump or compressor actuated directly by air being compressed within the motor and to impart therefrom a much higher pressure to the liquid fuel and in so doing to provide a construction which may be substituted in internal combustion engines already built and operating by making my new valve conform.

in essential details, so far as possible, to that found in fuel feeding valves now in operation to discharge liquid fuel into the cylinder through the medium of air compressed to pressures greatly higher than that. in the combustion chambers of internal combustion engines, at or about the end of the compression stroke.

A further object of my invention is to provide a fuel feeding valve of the type above described, which may be readily substituted and installed without changing the structure of the engine or motor itself.

A further object of my invention is to provide a simple construction, which is not liable to get out of order, which is dependable in operation and which can be readily adjusted and controlled to supply the exact amount of liquid fuel required for the proper operation of the motor.

Other objects of my invention will appear in the specification and claims below.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specification and in which the same reference characters are employed throughout the various views to designate the same parts,

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view through my improved valve provided with my improved arrangement for imparting a hi h pressure to the fuel to be injected into t e cylinder or combustion chamber of an internal combustion motor; and v Fig. 2 is a view showing diagrammatical- Y ly, how the fuel valve operates to subject the liquid fuel to high pressure and deliver it into the cylinder against the high pressure, then in the combustion chamber.

Fi 3-is a fragmentary plan view showing t e manner of cooling the fuel pressure chamber shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modified form; and Fig. 5 is a plan View of the form shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 is shown a vertical axial section through the cap or head 1 of the cylinder 1' of an internal combustion engine and through the axis of the hole or passage 2, wherein is ordinarily fitted my improved fuel feeding valve. The chamber 3+3 of-the circulatory water cooling system are shown surrounding the brace or strut 4 extending between the upper and lower walls of the cylinder head.

My improved feeding valve comprises preferably a body portion 5 and a bracket portion 6 secured to the top of the body portion 5, and slidingly mounted within the body 5 and the brackets 6, and coaxial therewith, is the stem 7 of the main-fuel release valve 8 located at the inner end of the stem 7 and normally closing the fuel dischar duct 9 leading from the valve chamber 0 surrounding the valve 8 at the lower end of the stem 7. The portion 11 of the stem 7 m fits in the valve body 5 with a tight but sliding fit at a point just above the valve chamber 10 and the portion 12 of the said stem similarly slides through the base 13 of the bracket 6 with a smooth sliding fit.

The upper end of the valve stem 7 is preferably provided with a head 14 against the underside of which rests the inner bifurcated end 15 of a lever 16 fulcrumed on a stud or pin 17 near the top of the valve bracket 6. The outer end 18 of said lever 16 being preferably provided with a roller 19 to coact with a cam 20 provided with a camprojection 20. This cam 20 is a continuously rotating cam and the projection 20 is positioned thereon with respect to the cam roller or follower 19 in a timed relationship so that when the piston 21 (see Fig. 2) of the internal combustion engine is at or near the end of its upward compression stroke, the projection 20' will engage the roller 19 of the lever 16 and elevate the valve stem 7, lifting the conical end 8 of the valve momentarily off its seat for the v feeding of li uid fuel to the cylinder or combustion cham er. The upper end of the head 14 is in engagement with the hardened steel head 22 at the lower end of a pin or stud 23, the upper end of which is slidably mounted in the top 24 of a cap 25 secured as by screwthreads 26 to the top of the bracket 6. Around this rod 23 and fitting against the upper side of the head 22 is a cup 27 slidingly mounted in the lower end of the cap 25. Surrounding the rod 23 and compressed between the upper end of the cap 25 and the inside of the cup 27 is a spiral compression spring 28 operative to hold the head 22 pressed against the top of the head 14 of the valve stem 7, thus normally holding the fuel release valve 8 on its seat and in closed position. When the inner end of the lever 16 is lifted by the cam projection 20', for instance, the stem 7 is moved against the tension or the compressive action of the spring 28 and as soon as the projection 20 has passed over the roller 19, the spring 28 immediately acts to close the fuel release valve 8.

Liquid fuel is supplied to my improved fuel valve from an oil pump 29 by a pipe 30 communicating with a fuel inlet chamber 31 preferably in the valve body 5. Oil from" this chamber 31 passes through a check valve 32 and thence passes by a duct or passage 33 and passage 34 to the fuel release valve chamber 10 surrounding the lower end of the valve stem 7.

But the pressure at which the oil from the pump 29 is supplied to the inlet chamber 31 and thence to the fuel chamber 10 is' a relatively low pressure, which may be as low as 10 pounds per square inch and it will therefore be plain that were the valve 8 to be opened at or near'the end of the compression stroke of the engine where the pressure within the cylinder may be 500 pounds per square why air at a high pressure is ordinarily used in liquid fuel engines to force the fuel into the cylinder. This air at high pressure is usually obtained from an outside source, as from a pump driven by the motor. object of my invention to avoid the use of such high pressure air compressors and high pressure Oll pumps and to utilize the high pressure of air present in the motor cylinder at or near the end of the compression stroke to supply the pressure necessary to force and discharge the fuel directly into the cylinder. To this end, I provide the valve body 5 with a relatively small fuel pressure cylinder 35 closed by a cylinder head 36 and within which is a fuel pressure piston-head 37 provided with the usual piston rings 38. Operatively connected to the piston-head 37 is a fuel compression plunger 39 snugly fitting but slidingly mounted in a sleeve 40 closing the upper side of a fuel compression chant ber 41 into which the plunger 39 projects. The sleeve 40 is preferably provided with an integral circumferential ring 42 between the ends thereof to provide a seat fitting against a coacting shoulder 44 and held tightly against said shoulder 44 by a suit able sleeve 45, surrounding the upper end of the sleeve 40 secured by screwthreads 43 nto the body 5 of my improved fuel valve. The lower end of this sleeve 40 snugly fits into an enlargement at the upper end of the chamber 41 and tightly closes the same to form the fuel compression chamber 41 below the lower end of the sleeve 40.

The end of the plunger 39 which is within the fuel compression chamber 41, is operatively connected to the underside of the piston-head 37 in any suitable manner. Preferably, I provide the center of the lower side of the piston-head 37 with a recess, a little larger than the head 46 on the end of the plunger 39 and holdthe head 46 loosely but inseparably attached to the piston-head 37 by a ring or sleeve 47 surrounding the plunger and held in the piston-head by the screwthreads 48. In the construction illustrated in Fig. 1, however, the head 46 is not rigid with the piston-head 37. In operation, however, it is held pressed against the pistonhead 37 at all times as will be referred to again below and is free to smoothly slide through the sleeve 40. I preferably provide the plunger 39 with a series of grooves 49 which, when filled with oil, will provide a liquid tight fit between the plunger 39 and its bearing through the sleeve 40. The up per end of the small fuel pressure cylinder It is the 35 is connected by a duct or passage 50 which leads downwardly andsidewise to clear the opening for the sleeve 40 to a position between the outer cylindrical surface of the lower part of the body and the axial pas-- 56 on the outside 0 the lug 51. This. cup or p on cap 55 does not fill the lower end 2 of the opening 2 through the wall 1 of the cylinder and below the lower end of the body 5. There is a substantial space between the outer surface of the cup 55 and the inner surface of the hole or recess 2 so thatthe space in the small cylinder over the piston-head 37 is at all times in direct communication with the interior of the motor cylinder 1. At the lower end of the cylinder 35 I provide a duct or passage 57 to keep the space therein below the piston 37 in communication with the atmosphere.

I prefer to control the duct or passage with a small manually operable valve 58 located near the top of the small fuel pressure cylinder 35 and near the point where the duct 50 enters the small cylinder 35. In the drawings, 1 have shown such a valve com"- prising a valve stem 59 provided on its inner end with a conical end 60 adapted. to seat against the seat formed by the small portion 50 of the passage 50 nearest the cylinder 35. The stem 59 is provided with screwthreads 61 fitting cooperating screwthreads in a stuffing box or gland 62. The outer end of said stem may be provided with a hand wheel 63.

The fuel compression chamber 41 is preferably connected by a duct or passage 64 preferably forming an extension of the duct or passage 33, and thus with the chamber 32' above the check valve 32.

In the preferred form of my invention, I preferably provide the fuel inlet chamber 31 with a hand controlled valve 65. The inner conical end 66 of this valve preferably closes a cylindrical passage 67 leading into the fuel inlet chamber 31. The stem 68 of this valve is preferably screwthreaded through a gland or stufiing box 69 and is provided at its upper end with a hand wheel 70. A port or passage 71 preferably leads from a point just above the conical valve seat for the conical end 66 of the valve 65 outwardly and communicates with a pipe 72 which may lead to a reservoir (not shown) from which the oil is being pumped by the oil pump 29.

It is to be understood, of course, that the valve body 5 is secured to the cylinder head in any suitable manner as by the bolts 73 passing through the flange 74 on opposite sides 6f the body 5 and threaded into the walls of A the cylinder 1.

I also preferably provide a port 75 near the top of the fuel pressure chamber 41 normally held tightly closed, at all times, during the operation of the engine, by a valve .or closure 76. The purpose of this port 7 5 is to permit the liquid fuel '.to fill the chamber 41 in starting the engine and the purpose of the valve 65 is to similarly insure the filling of the chamber 31 with oil, and the releasing of trapped air.

From the above description of the construc tion, the operation of the same will now be apparent. Assuming the fuel inlet chamber;

31, passages 33, 34 and 64, the valve chamber 1 10 and the fuel, compression chamber 41 to be filled with fuel oil supplied from the pump 29 at a pressure of say 10'pounds' er square inch. We will also assume that t e fuel release valve 8 is closed as shown in Fig. 1.

As the pressure withinthe motor cylinder 1 builds up on the compression stroke, by the upward movement of the piston 21, that pressure is communicated by the duct 50 past the valve 59 to the space in the fuel pressure cylinder 35., above the small piston-head 37 and the pressure above the piston 37 builds up with that of the air being compressed by the piston 21 in the motor cylinder 1 to practically the end of the compression stroke. At this time, if the pressure in the motor cylinder be assumed to be 500 pounds per square inch, then the pressure on the fuel pressure pistonhead 37 will be substantially the same, 500 pounds per square inch. Since, however, the fuel release valve 8 is closed, the check valve 32 is also closed and the chambers 41 and 10 and the ducts 33,34 and 64 are filled with oil, the piston 37 cannot move downwardly or do tnything except subject the oil so trapped .to a very high pressure. But at or about the end of the compression stroke, the projection 20 on the cam 20 engages the roller 19 on the end of the lever 16 and opens the fuel release valve 8. Now the air'at high pressure acting over the comparatively large area of the small piston 37 forcesthe pistonhead 37 downwardly against the pressure exerted upwardly against the relatively small area of the lower end of the plunger 39 and since the fuel release valve 8 is now open, the fuel is forced out of the fuel pressure chamber 41 through the ducts 64 and34 and through the chamber 10 into the fuel discharge duct 9 and thence through the rose spray or jet 54 whence it is sprayed into minute-streams into the combustion chamber sion of the air to a highpressure therein on.

the compression stroke of the motor, the fuel is spontaneously ignited and furnishes the P power for the working stroke of the motor or engine. It is to be noted that after the fuel release valve 8 has been opened the pressure per square inch may be regarded as equal in the small-cylinder 35 above the fuel pressure piston-head 37 and in the oil compression chamber 41 for both are in communication with the interior of the motor cylinder, but the great difference between the area of the small piston-head 37 and that of the end of the plunger 39 is so great that the effective force or total effective pressure acting on the piston-head 37 is very much greater than that acting on the end of the plunger 39 with the result that the piston 37 and plunger 39 are forced downwardly to the oil at a pressure much higher than the pressure in the interior 8f the engine cylinder or combustion chamer 1.

With this arrangement I am, therefore, able to discharge the fuel into the cylinder of an internal combustion engine rapidly and against the highpressure of the combustion chamber, present in this type of oil burning engine and that without the use of the ordinary expensive and complicated air compressures and fuel atomizers and oil pumps now frequently employed for the purpose.

The rapidity of the downward movement of the plunger 37 and the plunger 39 may be regulated as desired by the hand control needle valve 58. The rapidity with which the pressure builds up in the fuel pressure cylinder 35 may be controlled and regulated by a simple adjustment of the needle valve. The motion of the piston 37 is not great. The. end of the fuel compression plunger 39 is so proportioned with respect to the amount of fuel to be delivered that the displacement of fuel in the chamber 41 is substantially that required for a single charge but, of

' course, the amount of oil delivered will depend upon the length of time that the valve 8 is openl As a matter of fact, in the ordinary operation of the engine, this time is exceedingly short but ample within which to discharge the required amount of fuel to furnish the power for the working stroke of the engine.

It will also be apparent that after the fuel has thus been injected into the combustion chamber of the motor when the fuel control valve 8 is closed, that the pressure in the fuel pressure cylinder 35 above the piston 37 will fall as the pressure in the cylinder of the motor falls so that at the end of the working stroke of said motor and upon the opening of the exhaust valves in said motor,the pressure above said piston 37 will be atmospheric pressure (if the pressure in the cylinder of the motor drops to atmospheric pressure.) In any event. pressure in the cylinder 35 will be at that time a pressure substantially lowerthan the pressure at which oil is supplied to my improved fuel valve from the oil compressor or pump 29. Therefore, assuming the oil pressure to be 10 pounds per square inch as delivered from the oil pump 29, then as soon as the pressure above the small piston 37 drops to 10 pounds divided by the ratio of area of piston 37 to that of the plunger 39, and lower, then the liquid fuel will again be forced from the fuel inlet chamber 31 past the check valve 32 into the fluid compression chamber 41 and the piston 37 will be lifted by reason of the pressure of the oil exerted against the lower end of the plunger 39. In this way then, the small fuel pressure pistonhead 37 is operative, when the high compressive pressure of the air in the motor cylinder 1 is communicated thereto, and the fluid delivery valve 8 is open to force fuel at high pressure into the combustion chamber of the motor against the pressure of the air being compressed in the motor, and the air being so compressed in the engine cylinder is made to perform the work of forcing liquid fuel at much higher pressures into the combustion chamber of the motor at the end of the combustion stroke.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a fragmentary plan View of the top of my improved fuel feeding valve showing how the fuel pressure cylinder 35 may be water-cooled by providing therein a water chamber 77 encircling, so far as possible, the fuel pressure cylinder 35 and havmg a water inlet opening 78 and a water exit opening 79 to which suitable pipes, (not shown), may be attached to provide for the circulation of water through the chamber 77, to cool the cylinder 35.

In Figs. 4-and 5, I have shown a modified construction wherein the fuel pressure piston 37 and the fuel compression chamber 41 are not in axial alinement but are parallel and are operatively connected together to reciprocate in opposite directions by a connecting link or lever 80 fulcrumed on a pivotal shaft 81 between the ends of the link or beam 80.

To one side of the fuel pressure piston 37 is connected a piston rod 82 preferably formed with a head 83 seated in a recess 84 at the center of the piston head 37 and re tained therein by a ring or sleeve 85 surrounding the pis'ton rod 82 and screwthreaded into the recess 84 to permanently secure the piston rod 82 to the piston 37. The upper end of this piston rod 82 is preferably arranged to slide freely within a bearing sleeve 86 in the top cover or plate 87 which is rigidly secured to the vertical walls 88 above the 39 in the fuel compression chamber 41 is pro vided with a piston rod 91 extending upwardly yertically from the center thereof and WhlCh may be connected to the plunger 39 by a cross-pin 92 and the upper end of the said piston rod 91 is arrange to slide freely in a earin sleeve 93 also carried by the cover or to p ate 87 and passing therethrough. A ove the sleeves 86 and 93 and secured to the top surface of the cover 84, in any suit able manner, are cap-like closures 9494 within which the upper ends of the piston rods 82' and 91 reciprocate. These cap-like closures are preferably provided with vents, indicated by the small openings 95 to prevent any accidental compression of the air contained within due to the reciprocation of the piston rods therein, and the chamber above the cylinders and 41 formed by the closure or cover 87 and the walls 88 may also be provided with a vent 95 for a similar purpose. The piston rod 91 is also preferably provided with a transverse pin 96 projecting on opposite sides of the piston rod 91 and fittin'g into slots 97 in the bifurcated end of the connecting link beam 80 on opposite sides thereof.

In this case, the lower end of the fuel pressure cylinder 35 is connected to the duct in the valve body 5 and this passage is controlled by a valve 58 arranged to open and close the passage 50 near the point where the duct 50, or the small portion 50 thereof, en-

.ters the fluid pressure cylinder 35. The lower end of the fuel compression cylinder 41 is also provided with-the same valve 7 6 as that illustrated in Fig. 1. In other respects the construction is substantially like that shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of the mechanisms shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is to all intents and purposes as that shown in Fig. 1 except that the piston 37 and the plunger 39 move in opposite directions. Fuel is admitted to the fuel valve through the pipe 30 and inlet chamber 31 past the check valve 32 to the duct 33 and thence is conducted by the duct 64 to the fuel compression chamber 41 and by the duct or passage '34 to the fuel chamber surrounding the fuel release valve 8.

As the piston 21 of the liquid fuel burning motor rises and the air is compressed in the upper portion of the cylinder 1' of the motor, that pressure is communicated through the duct 50 against the lower side of the fuel pressure piston 37. Since the liquid fuel in the fuel compression chamber 41 and ducts 64, 33 and 34 is retained therein by the check valve 32 and the closed fuel release valve 8,

it will be subjected to an ever increasing pressure, which, at the end of the compression stroke of the motor, will be substantially that of the air within the cylinder 1 of the motor, but during this compression, little or no motion will be imparted to-the fuel pressure piston 37 because the oil fuel is'a substantially noncompressible liquid. When, how ever, the .end of the compression stroke has been reached, the cam projection 20'- will lift the fuel release valve 8 and the piston 37 will then move upwardly rapidly to force the plunger 39 downwardly into the fuel compression chamber 41, to force the fuel out through the nozzle 54 into the interior of the motor cylinder 1'.

As in the embodiment of my invention first described, I may similarly provide the walls of the fuel pressure cylinder 35 and the fuel compression chamber 41 with a water circulatory chamber 77 and with a water inlet opening 78 and a water discharge opening 79 but in this case the chamber 77 may be shaped somewhat like a, letter X, one end of which is in communication with the inlet 78 from which the passage curves around and substantially embraces the fuel compression cylinder shown in Fig. 1 and with a similar cam moion for lifting the valve 8 at about the end of the compression stroke of the motor piston 21. e

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The ,combination with a Diesel engine having a working cylinder, a piston reciprocated therein by the burning of a liquid fuel in the combustion chamber thereof, of a fuel valve for injecting liquid fuel into said cylinder at the end of the compression stroke of said piston and comprising a valve body passing through said cylinder and communicating with the combustion chamber of said motor, a fuel release valve therein, a fuel compression chamber in said valve body, means to maintain said chamber supplied with fuel at a pressure greatly below that of the engine cylinder at the end of the compression stroke, said valve bod belngprovided with a passage from said el compression chamber to the inner end of said valve body and normally maintained closed by said fuel release valve, a fuel pressure cylinder in said valve body, a piston reciprocable thereof said plunger being substantially less than the cross-sectional area of said fluid pressure piston, means to operatively connect said fluid pressure piston to said plunger, a check valve to prevent oil from said fluid compression chamber and said passage from flowing back out of said fuel valve, means positively operated by said engine to momentarily open said fluid control valve at substantially the end of the compression stroke of said piston of said motor, and a manually adjustable valve controlling the passage from the combustion chamber of said motor to the space over the fuel pressure piston in said valve body.

, 2. In an internal combustion motor, a combustion cylinder, a fuel valve extending through the walls of said cylinder and into the combustion chamber of said cylinder, 9. fuel release valve at the inner end of said fuel valve, a valve operating mechanism actuated by said motor in timed relation thereto, to positively open said fuel release valve at substantially the end of the compression stroke of said engine, and means to subject the fuel in said fuel valve to high pressure to force said fuel into said cylinder at the end' of said compression stroke and comprising a fuel pressure cylinder with a fuel pressure piston therein and the space in said fuel pressure cylinder over said fuel pressure piston being in communication at all times with the combustion chamber of said motor, a fuel compression chamber and a fuel compression plunger extending into said chamber and operatively connected to said fuel pressure piston, the cross-sectional area of said fuel pres sure piston being much greater than the crosssectional area of said plunger, said fuel valve being provided with a passage from said combustion cylinder to said fuel pressure chamber, means to hold said fuel releasing valve normally closed and means to supply said passage and said fuel compression chamber with liquid fuel at a pressure greatly below that of the combustion chamber of said engine at the end of the compression stroke, and means to regulate and control the speed at which the pressure from the combustion chamber of the engine is transmitted to the fuel pressure cylinder.

In'witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of October, 1927.

MATTHEW PALISGA. 

